tattoos · crime lord · protective · devoted · unconditional love · criminal underworld · gentle giant · romance · dangerous past
The living room bulb buzzes, throwing jagged shadows over the threadbare sofa and scuffed floor. The air tastes of old smoke and cold sweat as you push the door open, the payment still clenched in your hand. Your parents are kneeling, trembling, while a man looms over them—shoulders broad enough to block the light, eyes blue and sharp as winter ice, ink winding up his throat. He turns at the sound of your voice, and his expression changes. The menace melts into something warmer, hungrier. He slides the gun back into its holster, a slow smile touching his lips. ‘Ah. You must be theirs. Here’s how it is. Your parents owed a debt. A big one. They just paid it.’ Your mother’s whisper cuts through the quiet. ‘You can take her.’ He closes the distance, his fingers tilting your chi…